More Than Meets the Eye
by holli.carson95
Summary: Maria Hill thinks that she knows everything that there is to know about Natalie Jade Morgan, the daughter of Doctor Haley Morgan and the assassin known as Shadowstep. When she meets the mysterious beauty, however, her opinion changes drastically. Rated T for swearing and hints of sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, this is my first Avengers fic. It features characters from my DC Comics fics "Rewired" and "Nightshade." The idea popped into my head while I was watching the Avengers movie, and after reading a few fics featuring the lovely Maria Hill, I decided to write this. However, some of these OCs' surnames change when in one universe or the other!**

***DISCLAIMER* I own ****_nothing_**** other than the OCs; everything else belongs to their respective owners!**

* * *

Natalie huffed as she sat in her classroom, clearly irritated with having to spend an entire semester with Vinny Charles. He constantly harassed the other girls in school, and he was the only fool that hadn't been on the receiving end of one of Natalie's vicious punches.

"Hey fuckstick, you mind shuttin' the fuck up?" Natalie finally asked, turning to face Vinny.

"Only if you give me what I want!" Vinny cackled.

Natalie glared at Vinny and he got the hint. Second period wasn't over yet, but she desperately wished that it was so that she could get the _hell_ away from Vinny. She hated that she had to sit through Spanish class in high school- she already spoke it fluently along with six other languages. Out of nowhere, somebody knocked on the door, and Senora Nelson moved quickly to answer it. A redhead on the other side of the door caught Natalie's eye for a moment before she turned her attention back to her homework.

"Can I help you?" Senora Nelson asked, staring at the redhead.

"Agent Natasha Romanoff, FBI," the redhead answered, flashing a badge. "I need to talk to Natalie Morgan."

"What's this about?"

"FBI business, ma'am. A little professional courtesy would go a long way..."

Senora Nelson allowed the agent to enter the classroom, and she immediately approached Natalie.

"Come with me," the agent muttered to Natalie.

"Right behind yah," Natalie said, glad to get away from Vinny and his stupid antics. Sadly, he wasn't done with her.

"Ooh!" Vinny yelled, getting Natalie's attention.

"Shut your fucking cock holster," Natalie warned, glaring at Vinny.

"You gonna make me?" Vinny challenged with a grin.

Natalie smirked before she turned away for a second. "Pardon me, ma'am."

Vinny was still smiling when Natalie's fist collided with his mouth, splitting his lip open deeply. He arched back in pain, holding his jaw as he hadn't been expecting Natalie to be able to cause so much damage. "Oops."

Agent Romanoff was aghast at Natalie's response to Vinny's antics. _Yep, she's definitely Shadowstep's daughter,_ she thought to herself as she led Natalie out of the classroom. "Is there a reason why you punched him?"

"He's been asking for it for a while," Natalie replied with a sly smirk on her face. "Speaking of questions, I have a few for you."

"Can they wait?"

"Nope; where are we going and who are you, really?"

"Agent Natasha Romanoff, F-!"

"Bullshit; I know that you're not FBI. What does SHIELD want with me anyways?"

"There was an issue that caught our attention."

"Care to explain more?"

"Can't at the moment; do you think you could help me find your cousins?"

"Psh, that'll be easy- class gets out in a few minutes, so I'll text them and tell them to meet us at the front desk."

"And the principal won't ask?"

"I'm pretty sure that my dad already called him and told him that you were coming to grab us."

_Smart for an eighteen-year-old, _Natasha thought to herself as she and Natalie headed for the front desk. "I take it you know what your dad does outside of the local PD?"

"Duh!" Natalie retorted, cocking an eyebrow at Natasha. "I helped him and the rest of the family knock Ilya Volchenkov down a peg last fall."

"And the rest?"

"What, the part about him being the infamous Shadowstep or the part about him having SHIELD keeping tabs on me and my brother?"

"What else did he tell you?"

"Just that I had to be careful around SHIELD. There's Vel, Nicky, and CJ now."

Sure enough, Natalie's cousins Velkan McTeague, Connor Vaduva-Jager, and Nikolai O'Malley were at the front desk, all clutching their backpacks. Nikolai's flaming red hair made it easy to spot him, just like it did with Velkan's earrings. "Hey guys."

"What's up Nat?" Velkan asked, glancing at Romanoff. "Who's this?"

"Agent Natasha Romanoff of SHIELD," Natalie replied shortly. "C'mon, let's get outta here before the guards start busting our asses."

Velkan grinned and followed Natalie and the others to her black Ford pickup truck. "Want me to drive?"

"Nah, thanks though!" Natalie replied, throwing her backpack into the bed of the truck. "Romanoff, up front."

"How much do you _really_ know about us?" Velkan asked bluntly once Natalie hit the road.

"Some things aren't for you to know," Natasha replied.

"Heh, typical fucking intelligence agent," CJ remarked. "Knowing SHIELD, you probably know everything about us."

"I'm aware of your little ... adventures outside of school as well as your parents' past," Romanoff admitted. "Not to mention I spent a little while trying to find Natalie's father and his partner-in-crime after Declan Blackwell's body was dropped."

"Ha, that little fucker had it coming," Natalie remarked. "So, if you don't mind telling us, what brings you here to me and my cousins?"

"Well," Natasha began, "I'm sure that you all know that SHIELD was involved with James Claybrook's capture last week..."

"Headline news, that one," Velkan jumped in. "Speaking of whom, are you here because of his brother?"

"Yes and no," Natasha replied. "Bobby Claybrook arrived in town about a week ago, but SHIELD believes that he's up to something bigger than going after Evan and Serana McTeague, Ben Richards, and your siblings..."

"What would have that prick distracted from our family?" Natalie demanded, her blue eyes glowing with anger. "I mean, I know that the fuck wit _loves_ to mess with other people, but still..."

"We believe that Bobby Claybrook has enlisted the help of the Russian mobster Ilya Volchenkov," Natasha began, "and has had some involvement with the use of the super steroid that gave the Phantom his abilities."

Natalie almost slammed the brakes when she heard Natasha mention her uncle, but she chose not to. When she rolled up to a stoplight, she noticed the black car that had gotten behind her truck back by the school, and her alarm bells began going off immediately. "Romanoff, we got company."

Natasha glanced back and noticed the black car in the rear view mirror. "Keep driving; I'll handle it."

"Guys, heads down!" Natalie barked as Natasha unbuckled herself and removed her gun from its holster. "Romanoff, use the back window!"

Natasha's hands reached out to the back window of Natalie's truck and slid it open with ease. She was halfway out of the window when Natalie drifted around the corner, and when she realigned the truck, the rest of Natasha's body slid through the window. Natalie obviously sped up, for Natasha had to stay crouched to avoid being knocked onto her ass by the movement of the truck. She approached the box and aimed her pistol at the car, noticing that the driver was none other than Bobby Claybrook. With a vicious grin on her face, Natasha aimed at the tires and fired her pistol twice, rupturing the tires of Bobby's car with ease. He began to spin out of control, his car fish-tailing down the highway before rolling off the road entirely and into the snow.

"Claybrook?" Natalie asked when Natasha clambered back into the pickup truck.

"Yeah," Natasha began, "and I don't think he'll be bothering you guys anytime soon."

"Nice shot, by the way!" Velkan cheered from the backseat.

"Thanks; turn off here!" Natasha instructed. Natalie followed Natasha's orders and turned off the road, wondering where she was going. When she heard the sound of a Chinook helicopter overhead, she realized that she was at a small airfield.

"Any reason why we're here?" Natalie asked when she pulled over.

"You'll see in a minute," Natasha replied. Natalie rolled her pale blue eyes into the back of her skull and clambered out of her pickup truck. Velkan, CJ, and Nicky followed shortly after, each wondering what the hell was about to happen.

"Hope you didn't have too much trouble getting here!" Evan McTeague hollered over the noise of the aircraft that surrounded him and his family.

"Getting here wasn't the problem," Natalie replied. "Bobby Claybrook decided to try and start some more shit with us, so Romanoff shot out his tires and sent him into the snow."

"Nice!" Evan cheered, grinning at his daughter. "You guys okay?"

"Yep; just wondering what the fuck we're doing here..."

"Follow me."

Natalie shrugged off the worried glances that her cousins gave her as she followed her father to the helicopter. She was beginning to doubt Evan when she noticed a brunette that made her stop dead in her tracks. Shrugging it off, she clambered onto the helicopter with her father, Natasha, and her cousins right behind her. She grinned when she noticed her uncle Ben in the copilot seat, his custom-made comms set rested over his jet-black helmet. After liftoff, she felt her thoughts drifting to the mysterious brunette that was only a few feet from her. With a grin, she closed her eyes and fell asleep as Ben and the pilot took the rest of the crew higher into the sky.

* * *

**So there's Natalie's first sight of Maria Hill! More to come soon! Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, thanks for the reviews! Pardon the delay between chapters- I've been busy at work lately and spending time with my family. Anyhoo, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

Natalie hadn't been able to get her mind off of the brunette that she'd seen on her father's Chinook helicopter, and when she saw her standing next to Director Nick Fury on the bridge of the SHIELD helicarrier, she felt her breath hitch in her throat. She was floored when she saw the other woman grin at her, so she decided to approach her and introduce herself.

"Agent Hill," the brunette greeted, holding out her hand when Natalie approached her.

"Natalie Morgan," Natalie replied, fighting her raging heartbeat as she shook Agent Hill's hand firmly. "You probably know everything about me, so I won't say much more."

Agent Hill giggled slightly at Natalie's statement, which shocked the eighteen-year-old. She took a second look at Natalie, clearly shocked that she was standing in front of Evan McTeague's daughter. The file that she'd given to Agent Romanoff surprisingly didn't have a photo of Natalie, which shocked Agent Hill. She knew that the file on Natalie was missing a few things besides her photo. Natalie's pale blue eyes had a certain spark that was almost like a line of fuel that had been ignited by a lighter on a dark night. Her brown hair fell just past the nape of her neck and appeared to have mated with the soothing northern winds. Natalie's smile was very charming, and Agent Hill immediately noticed the snow-white teeth.

"Agent Hill?" Natalie asked, pulling Hill from her thoughts.

"Sorry," Agent Hill muttered, glancing away from Natalie.

"Hey, if you want, I could tell you something that I don't think SHIELD has on file," Natalie offered gently.

"What might that be?" Agent Hill asked, her voice now clipped with a sternness that reminded Natalie of her father.

"The nickname that I got from my father and Phantom..."

Agent Hill cocked an eyebrow at Natalie, clearly taken aback.

"They call me Chaos..." Natalie whispered. "I don't really know why, so I don't ask..."

_"'Chaos?'"_ Agent Hill repeated, stunned at the news.

"Yeah, I know that it's ridiculous..."

"It's not ridiculous; I think it fits!"

"You _do?"_

"Yeah; I heard that you punched a kid so hard this morning that his lip was lacerated."

"Oops."

Agent Hill smirked, a rarity in her line of work. "I see that the rest of your family made it here."

Natalie glanced over her shoulder and immediately noticed the rest of her family standing at the back of the bridge.

Jesse Richards, aka Wraith, had been talking to Agent Clint Barton. Jesse's dark hair and pale brown eyes were shining in the flooded room, and the scars from his accident were as pale as the snow.

Natalie's younger brother Dave, aka Daedra, was discussing the latest sports results with Velkan at the nearest table.

Connor O'Malley, Nikolai's father, was brooding in the back corner, his bright red hair the same as Nikolai's. What gave him away was the scar above his right eyebrow, a gift from Evan when Connor had busted into the mansion to find his son eighteen and a half years before.

Velkan's younger brother Malacath was leaning against the back wall, scowling like he usually did. His hazel eyes set him apart from his brother, and his hair was the same shade of brown that he and his sister Aria had gotten from their mother Serana instead of the strawberry blonde hue that his brothers and father had.

Ben was sitting in a chair next to his son Velkan and nephew Dave. His hair had grown since Agent Hill had last heard of him, and a murderous glint was shining in his eyes. Natalie could tell that Ben's mind was in a dark place at the moment, and she didn't dare disturb him.

"Miss Morgan?" Agent Hill began hesitantly.

"Yes?" Natalie replied eagerly.

"Is that the MMA fighter known as 'Crash Course?'" Agent Hill asked, motioning to Jesse.

"Yep; hard to believe that Crash Course and Wraith are the same person, huh?" Natalie inquired with a smirk.

"Wow..."

"Yeah..."

Out of nowhere, Fury called everyone to attention. Natalie approached the table with Agent Hill on her heels, and she had a hard time not glancing over her shoulder at the brunette.

"Director," Agent Hill greeted curtly.

"Hill," Fury replied shortly.

"Sir," Natalie muttered, trying her best to not glare. It was no secret that Natalie didn't like Fury- he kept tabs on her when she was younger, and not warning her that Claybrook was back in town was another reason to hate him.

"Morgan," Fury muttered. "Alright, we all know that Ilya Volchenkov and Bobby Claybrook are working together. The only question that SHIELD has is _why."_

"Probably because of the Goliath steroid," Ben began halfheartedly, his blue eyes now as bright as the coals in the pit of a fire. "Volchenkov's old boss, Sergei Kosovo, got his hands on it fifteen years ago and used it on me when I went in with the rest of my family to rescue Nightshade."

"Why would he want the steroid to begin with?" Agent Hill asked.

"Domination," Ben replied simply. "Unfortunately for Kosovo, he didn't count on the steroid mutating a person's abilities. The steroid's effects can mutate the abilities of the host, and in some cases- such as my own - the host can develop an ability that is unknown to mankind. Its active effects are superhuman strength, heightened senses, superhuman healing, and, in my case, element shifting."

"What does this have to do with Volchenkov?" Barton piped up.

"I'm getting there," Ben replied softly. "Volchenkov more than likely wants to use the steroid on his guards as an experiment, and if it's successful, then he'll move to use it on Russian civilians to create an army for himself and Claybrook to command."

"What the hell does he need an army for?" Natasha asked.

"Search me," Ben replied. "For all that we know, Volchenkov and Claybrook want an army to wreak havoc on the people that took care of Declan Blackwell and half of Volchenkov's friends."

"In other words, your family," Agent Hill deduced.

"Yes and no," Ben said. "Blackwell may have attacked Serana before she and Evan underwent assassin training, but Bobby Claybrook has always craved power. He's a career criminal, and it doesn't really surprise me to know that he's working with Volchenkov."

"Because of his lust for power?" Fury asked.

"That, and him being a royal piece of shit that disregards all humans except himself, Volchenkov, and his little brother Jimmy," Ben spat. "I'll bet anything that he wants the Goliath steroid so that he can gain an immense amount of power and kill millions of people..."

Fury seemed to take Ben's words to heart and quietly dismissed everyone, including Agent Hill. He clearly needed a little time to think about how to approach the situation.

* * *

After night had fallen and the helicarrier had been enveloped in stars, Agent Hill found herself standing outside of Natalie's quarters. She could hear some kind of music coming from the room, which intrigued her. _Focus, Maria,_ she thought to herself. _You're not doing anything you shouldn't be- you're just asking her a few things about Volchenkov._ Exhaling a deep breath, Agent Hill knocked on the door, fighting her heart's attempted jailbreak from her rib cage.

_"Who is it?"_ Natalie called out from behind the door, her voice far more calm than Agent Hill had expected.

"Agent Hill," Hill replied quickly. Moments later Natalie's door swung open, revealing the tall eighteen-year-old. Hill immediately noticed that Natalie had changed into a form-fitting, long-sleeved black t-shirt, straight-legged dark wash jeans, and red Nike high tops. Her brown hair was short and shaggy, which Hill secretly found adorable.

"What's up?" Natalie asked, inviting Hill inside.

"Well ... well..." Hill sputtered, trying to fight the surprise that rose in her chest when she heard Breaking Benjamin slithering through the speakers on Natalie's computer.

"Forgive me, but were you expecting death metal?" Natalie asked, trying her best not to laugh.

"Yeah..." Hill admitted, clearly shocked that she hadn't heard Lamb of God or Fleshgod Apocalypse pounding through the speakers. "I take it you like Breaking Benjamin...?"

"Yeah," Natalie admitted. "I'm not always blasting death metal at all hours of the day..."

"Really?" Hill asked, stepping closer to Natalie.

"Yeah, unless I'm angry enough to wanna kill someone," Natalie admitted with a devious grin pulling at her lips. Agent Hill raised an eyebrow at Natalie's statement, clearly caught off guard. "Don't worry, I haven't killed anyone!"

"Not yet?" Hill joked.

"No, and if I do, I hope the first one is either Volchenkov or Claybrook!"

Hill shook her head at the younger woman, trying her best not to laugh. When Natalie went to sit on her bed, Hill noticed a collection of CDs on Natalie's desk. It only took one raised eyebrow from Natalie to send Hill over the edge.

"You alright Agent Hill?" Natalie asked, her eyes now flooding with concern.

"Just trying to figure out where SHIELD got your info..." Hill admitted as Breaking Benjamin's "Forever" began playing on the computer.

"Either my dad or Serana," Natalie said bluntly, getting off her bed to turn her computer's volume up. Hill couldn't help but grin when she heard Natalie start singing. "Can I feel ... a chemical reaction...?"

Hill continued to stare at Natalie as she sang, her voice melodic and sending Hill's heart into overdrive. By this point, Natalie had flopped onto her bed, her head landing softly on the pillow. Hill grinned when Natalie slid her hands under her head, staring at the ceiling as she sang ever so softly. _There's no way she's only eighteen,_ Hill thought to herself as she glanced sideways at Natalie. _Not a chance in hell ... she has to be only fourteen or fifteen..._

"Something troubling you, Agent Hill?" Natalie asked out of the blue.

"This is gonna sound pathetically stupid..." Hill trailed off.

"Eh, I don't judge. What's on your mind?"

"Are you really eighteen years old? You ... forgive me ... you don't really _look_ eighteen..."

Natalie threw her head back and began laughing so hard that she had to hold her ribs. She couldn't believe that Hill had asked her about her age! "I'm not sure if that should be an insult or a compliment..."

Hill's left eyebrow rose to a peak on her forehead, clearly taken aback by Natalie's statement. "Maybe a little bit of both...?"

Natalie giggled at Hill's reply before getting off of her bed to turn off the music on her computer. Hill's blue eyes followed Natalie's every move, and when she flopped back down on her bed, Hill joined her. She was certain that Natalie herself could hear her heart pounding against her ribs as she scooted closer to her. Natalie's pale blue eyes had this seductive spark burning in them, one that made Hill want to drop everything and kiss her. Hill was about to say something but Natalie leaned in and softly kissed the older agent, catching her off guard. She smiled into the kiss nonetheless and deepened it as time went on, savoring the moment that she and Natalie had. They pulled away after the need for air was greater than the need to share a kiss.

"Wow..." Hill gasped.

"Yeah..." Natalie agreed, grinning at Hill.

"Can we ... do that again...?" Hill asked hesitantly.

"Of course we can," Natalie replied before pulling Hill into another kiss. This one was far more passionate and fiery than the first, and it elicited a groan from Hill. Natalie was slightly-no, _very-_ turned on by Hill. They remained in their kiss for almost a full minute until a knock on Natalie's door interrupted them.

"I'll be right back," Natalie whispered before turning to answer the door. The person on the other side knocked once more, which frustrated Natalie. "Hang on!"

"Been busy?" Natasha Romanoff asked with a grin threatening to pull her mouth to her ears.

"Hill had a few questions," Natalie replied, her pale blue eyes now darkening like the stormy skies. "What can I do for you, Romanoff?"

"Fury needs to see you and Maria in the briefing room," Romanoff replied.

"What's going on?" Natalie asked.

"Just got word from Fury that Volchenkov is using Claybrook as his glorified attack dog," Natasha replied. "He was trying to take you and your cousins out as a message to your father."

"Ha, typical fuckin' Volchenkov," Natalie laughed. "When will that little fucker learn that he won't win?"

"There's another problem..."

"Okay, shoot."

Natasha glanced at Maria before continuing. "Volchenkov has his hands on the Goliath steroid."

"Only thing that I'm wondering is how the fuck he got his hands on it," Natalie muttered.

"Good question; go meet Fury in the briefing room," Natasha replied before closing the door and turning to face Maria and Natalie.

"You alright?" Maria asked hesitantly.

"Could be a hell of a lot worse, I suppose..." Natalie trailed off. "They could be asking me to kill someone or to interrogate one of Volchenkov's maggots..."

"True..."

Natalie turned away and turned her computer up. "I just hope that Fury isn't sending us after Volchenkov just yet..."

"Why?" Maria asked.

"After everything that Volchenkov has done, I kind of want to rip his heart out and stuff it down his throat..."

Maria stared at Natalie wide-eyed. "Maybe we shouldn't do that..."

"It was a thought," Natalie said. "I'm not literally going to do that. Volchenkov deserves a fate worse than death if you ask me..."

"Then why did you have that thought?"

"Volchenkov weaponized an experimental steroid and his former lieutenant used it on Ben. He's killed nearly a dozen people within the last fourteen years by using the steroid. The steroid is almost as bad as weaponized smallpox and some of the symptoms mimic that of the Ebola virus."

When the words "smallpox" and "Ebola" rolled out of Natalie's mouth, Maria felt her breath hitch in her throat and fear rising in her heart. "How ... how does the steroid mimic the Ebola virus...?"

Natalie raised a dark brown eyebrow at Maria. "Blood comes out of the mouth, eyes, ears, and nose. The Goliath steroid only _mimics_ the virus if it kills someone. If their body accepts the steroid, then the person goes unconscious and remains in a comatose state. The length of their coma varies on the person- in a case like Ben's, the person is only out for a few minutes. In other cases, the person can be out for several hours or days."

"Why is this important?" Natasha asked, clearly irritated.

Natalie rolled her eyes at the Russian. "If the steroid has a success rate, then Volchenkov could use it for world domination. It is generally good to know about these things in the event that SHIELD would ever come across hostiles that have been exposed to the virus and are intending to use it."

"We already know that Volchenkov is power hungry," Natasha sighed.

"Have there been any intel reports regarding the use of the Goliath?" Natalie asked harshly.

"Very few..." Maria confirmed.

"That's more than I would've hoped to hear..." Natalie admitted. "What about laboratory break-ins at hospitals or research facilities?"

"You think Volchenkov stole it from the US?" Natasha asked.

"If Volchenkov got his hands on Ben's blood, then he could use his scientist friends at the KGB to recreate the formula so that it doesn't kill people," Natalie huffed. "Last I checked, a sample of Ben's blood was at three locations- Atlanta, Baltimore, and Cambridge, UK..."

"Cambridge had a security breach at their research lab a few months ago..." Maria trailed off.

"Start there; run a background check on all employees within the last six to twelve months," Natalie advised. "If one of them was fired for removing samples, then it is highly likely that they are working for Volchenkov."

"Got it; meet Fury in the briefing room," Natasha instructed as she bolted from Natalie's quarters.

No sooner was Natasha gone that Natalie had her arms wrapped around Maria's shoulders. "I believe we were starting something before she interrupted us...?"

Maria grinned at the femme fatale standing before her and quickly closed the distance between them. Natalie happily returned the kiss and allowed Maria to deepen it, which sent the younger woman's heart into overdrive. Maria pulled away once the need for air became highly imminent. "Anyone ever tell you what a badass you are?"

"Ever look in the mirror?" Natalie challenged, her words forcing Maria to raise an eyebrow.

"You brought Volchenkov down for a moment last year, and you were only seventeen," Maria reminded Natalie, who was now her lover. "I'd say that is pretty badass."

"I wasn't alone," Natalie fired back. "I had my little brother with me, and we each kicked the crap out of a few of Volley-boy's personal guards."

"'Volley-boy?'"

"Insult...?"

"I see ... you and your brother are badasses."

Natalie grinned as she changed her playlist on her computer. Moments later, the powerful guitars of Godsmack filled the room. She knew that it wasn't the most romantic sound out there, but she was trying to mentally prepare for her face-off against Ilya Volchenkov and, quite possibly, Sergei Kosovo.

"Godsmack?!" Maria asked in utter confusion.

"Hey, their music is perfect for prepping to face off against a piece of shit like Volchenkov," Natalie said defensively.

Maria was about to reply when Natalie crashed their lips together. She was caught off guard, but she returned the kiss with even more passion, which obviously caught Natalie's attention. The younger girl had pulled her backwards onto her bed with her when they heard someone clear their throat. Maria backfired away from Natalie and laid eyes on Agent Phil Coulson, who'd been standing in the doorway the whole time. Natalie's face was as red as the setting sun while Maria simply looked away.

"Sorry to interrupt," Coulson said softly.

"What can I do for you, Agent Coulson?" Natalie asked despite her embarrassment.

"Fury needs you both for mission briefing."

"Be right there; I gotta shut down my computer..."

Coulson simply nodded and left Maria and Natalie alone to gather themselves. Maria was absolutely _humiliated_ that Coulson had caught her and Natalie and began cursing under her breath. Coulson, who was already at the end of the hallway, had extreme difficulty holding his thoughts at bay. _I thought that Maria would go for Rogers or another agent, maybe even Romanoff, not Shadowstep's daughter,_ he thought to himself. _Then again, Natalie is one of the most elite combat strategists known to SHIELD, not to mention the fact that once Volchenkov, Kosovo, and Claybrook are captured, she will be going to Parris Island for boot camp._ Shaking his head, Coulson entered the briefing room and immediately noticed Natalie's father, Evan McTeague, pacing back and forth with daggers in his eyes. Coulson was highly tempted to say something to Evan about his daughter's involvement with Agent Hill, but he bit his tongue and waited for the rest of the assassin's family to arrive.

* * *

"You alright?" Natalie asked Maria as they rounded the corner on their way to the briefing room.

"Next time, don't be so reckless!" Maria hissed.

Natalie stared wide-eyed at her lover. "Reckless? Really? You asked me for the second one!"

"I'm not the one that started it with _Coulson_ watching!" Maria snapped.

"I had no idea he was gonna come to my quarters after Romanoff!" Natalie said defensively. "And as to how the hell he got the door open is beyond me!"

Maria shot daggers at Natalie with her blue-green eyes and opened the door to the briefing room. "Miss Morgan."

"Agent Hill," Natalie said curtly before entering the room. She shot Coulson a warning glare, which only made the man want to smirk at the eighteen-year-old.

While Natalie and Maria had been arguing on their way down to the briefing room, the rest of Natalie's family had arrived on the helicarrier, including her brother Dave and their cousin Jesse. Needless to say, the girl was surprised to see the twenty-three year-old in jeans and a t-shirt instead of his swashbuckler-looking armor. _Wonder why Fury called Jesse in,_ Natalie thought to herself as she sat down next to her younger brother. Maria, on the other hand, took the only empty seat on the opposite end of the table, which happened to be right next to Jesse. She had a hard time focusing since her hind sights kept on getting breached by Dave's blood-colored hair. Natasha was amused at how quickly Maria and Natalie had drifted away from each other, especially due to the fact that she'd watched them kiss over the surveillance feed in Natalie's quarters _and_ their embarrassment when Coulson had caught them. Moments later, the rest of Natalie's family joined them, including Velkan McTeague and his younger brother Malacath.

"Alright everyone, listen up!" Fury began sharply. "We have just received intel that Ilya Volchenkov had a mole at a research facility in Cambridge that he used to steal the Goliath steroid.

"Volchenkov's best friend Bobby Claybrook has been using civilian hostages as guinea pigs for the particular strain of the Goliath, the one that researchers have dubbed 'Phantom.'"

Everyone heard Ben inhale sharply in his seat and his eyes took on a strange red-orange tinge.

"We haven't heard anything about whether or not these so-called 'experiments' have been successful, but we have to exercise caution in all forms," Fury continued.

"What's the plan?" Natalie asked with an iceberg in her voice.

"We have to bring Volchenkov in _alive,"_ Fury said pointedly, glancing particularly at Ben and Evan.

"How do we know that he hasn't used the steroid on himself?" Maria asked.

"He's a coward," Ben spat. "He'd rather watch others suffer and bend them to his will than change things himself..."

"Ben's right," Evan joined in. "Volchenkov has no interest in using the steroid on himself as far as we know."

"What would make him change his mind?" Coulson asked.

"If he was on his own," Malacath said. "Volchenkov hates being in solitary situations."

"How will we get him on his own without risking him using the steroid on himself?" Fury demanded.

Dave glanced at Natalie and Evan before replying. "Surprise attacks are the best way to get Volchenkov. Take out his personal guards, you got one scared little Kremlin."

Natasha glared when Dave said "Kremlin" but said nothing to him. "The only question is how we're going to be able to take out his personal guards without him raising the alarm..."

"You guys got surveillance on Volchenkov's hideout?" Jesse finally asked.

"We have a mole in the KGB that has been helping us run surveillance on Volchenkov," Fury confirmed.

"Don't tell me- it's Romanoff," a male voice echoed from the doorway.

"Nice of you to finally join us, Connor," Natasha said icily.

"Wow, so she does have emotions! Who would've thought!" Connor joked.

"Thin ice, Red Eagle," Natalie warned, firing blazing hot daggers at Connor.

Connor only laughed at his surrogate niece and took a seat next to his son Nikolai. "Can this mole be trusted?"

"Seeing as everything they've told us about Volchenkov has been true, I would definitely say so," Evan spat.

"Moving on," Fury began firmly, "SHIELD has decided to send in a task force. The main mission is to bring Volchenkov and Claybrook in alive."

Evan shot a warning glance at Velkan and Malacath, both of whom had been clutching their daggers in a deathly tight grip under the table.

"Where do we start?" Natalie asked, looking Fury in the eye.

"Agents Morgan, Hill, Romanoff, and Jesse Richards will be infiltrating the compound," Fury began. "Agent Ben Richards, Shadowstep, and O'Malley will be on comms and transport."

"Sir, if I may..." Maria began. "Do you really think it would be a good idea to send Romanoff, myself, and miss Morgan in unprotected?"

"What do you mean?" Fury asked.

"She's trying to ask you to send someone else in to back us up," Natalie filled in, throwing a wink at Maria.

"Forgive me, but who else in this room besides the team that I have chosen can utilize stealth?" Fury asked nonchalantly.

"Dave," Evan and Natalie said in unison. Dave merely glared at his sister and father for putting him on the spot, his mouth twitching and revealing a set of pale white, wolf-like teeth.

"Care to explain?" Fury asked.

"Agent Morgan has exceptional stealth skills that can be used to our advantage," Maria explained. "He shows restraint when needed, and his tactics are highly valuable."

"Very well," Fury answered. "Dave, go with Natalie, Romanoff, Hill, and Jesse."

"Sir, out of respect," Natalie began, "complete stealth won't help us out in the long run. The best way to make sure that the team has a clear route to Volchenkov is to remove any threats on the outside. If Volchenkov's guards have been subjected to the use of the Goliath steroid, then they will easily pick up our scent and alert the others."

"What would you suggest I do?" Fury demanded.

"Send Ben in as a distraction- he can pick off the guards with ease and keep them from finding the others," Evan suggested. "With the other guards distracted, Natalie, Hill, Romanoff, Jesse, and Dave can sneak in."

"Where does that leave the rest of us?" Connor asked.

"That leaves you on the helijet on comms and transport," Fury explained, "while Malacath, Velkan, and Nikolai will be on the bridge providing visuals."

Everyone nodded and Fury dismissed them. As Natalie was about to leave, Evan pulled her aside. "Natalie, I need you to be careful out there."

"I'm fine, Dad," Natalie replied. "Seriously."

"Natalie," Evan began warningly.

"I'll watch my ass, okay? I'll alert the others if shit is about to hit the fan."

"Good girl; keep an eye on Dave and make sure he doesn't lose it."

"Got it; see you at the hangar bay."

Evan grinned and headed back to his quarters to get his armor and weapons, leaving Natalie to her thoughts.

* * *

Natalie had been trying to mentally prepare herself for the upcoming mission when she heard a knock on her door. "It's open!"

Maria opened the door and entered her lover's quarters, wincing as the sound of death metal invaded her ears. "Aren't you worried about blowing your ears out?"

Natalie laughed as she turned her computer volume down a little. "Helps me mentally prepare for combat ... what can I do for you?"

Maria hesitated for a split second but didn't let it show. "About earlier..."

"You want me to keep it between us, got it," Natalie grunted as she zipped up her jumpsuit.

"We have to talk about it," Maria said firmly.

"I'm listening," Natalie replied.

The way that she'd replied made Maria want to forget everything, but she stood her ground. "What happened between you and I can't happen again."

"That's hard to believe seeing as you asked me if we could do it again," Natalie retorted, strapping a stiletto knife to each boot.

"It is highly against SHIELD protocol to fraternize!" Maria snapped.

Natalie only smirked and pulled Maria closer to her. "I won't be all mush-gushy while we're at work."

Maria raised an eyebrow at the younger agent, but soon lost herself in those pale blue eyes that held the same smirk as their owner's mouth. "If Coulson says something to Fury or your father, we're both screwed."

"I think we'll be fine so long as we don't fuck around while on the job. What happened between us happened when we'd both been dismissed for a while, remember?"

Maria knew that Natalie was right, so she chose to not press the issue any further. "We got a mobster to catch."

"Right behind you," Natalie murmured. "Promise me something...?"

"Anything."

"Cover your ass while you're out there? I don't wanna think about you getting hurt."

Maria grinned at Natalie before they left the younger woman's quarters. "I'll be fine; cover your own ass."

Natalie grinned and they both headed for the hangar bay.

* * *

**Sorry about the wait between chapters, I have been busy at school and work. :( Please feel free to drop a review and any suggestions on what I may be able to improve! Thanks for your views and reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone, thank you for the views! I do apologize for the wait between updates due to having to balance school and work, so thank you for bearing with me! Enjoy the next chapter, and feel free to leave a review!**

* * *

Maria and Natalie had arrived at the hangar bay and immediately noticed Natalie's brother Dave sitting outside of one of the helijets sharpening his blades. His armor reminded Maria of the videogame franchise "Metal Gear Solid," but it was obvious that Dave's was custom made:

His bandanna was jet-black against his blood-colored hair minus the mahogany-colored skull in the center, his high-collared shirt was a lighter shade of red than his hair, and the straps that held his equipment to his torso were gray, unlike the mahogany on his legs. His pale blue eyes appeared to have been darkened by the ashes of his emotions, which scared Natalie- what if Dave was preparing to kill someone?

"You alright?" Natasha asked out of nowhere.

"I'm fine," Natalie replied shortly. "It's Dave that I'm worried about- he looks like he's getting ready to kill someone!"

"I'm blown away that a teenager would be prepared to kill someone," Maria muttered.

"Definitely not the first time," Natalie supplied with a sadistic grin. "Remember a guy named Darren Wesley?"

"What about him?" Natasha jumped in.

"My dad took him out at the age of sixteen- just a year younger than what Dave is now!" Natalie laughed. Her sadistic grin was silently turning Maria on, but she didn't dare reveal that in front of the others- especially Natasha.

"Your dad took out Darren Wesley?!" Maria gaped.

"So what?" Natalie replied, raising one of her brown eyebrows at the older agent. "Wesley was a piece of shit anyways- beat on his wife and kids on a constant basis, even when he was sober! He got what he deserved!"

"Are you saying that you're proud of what your father did?" Natasha asked in extreme bewilderment.

"Proud, not really- it isn't easy trying to not follow in the footsteps of an assassin like Shadowstep, even if he is one of your greatest idols," Natalie explained. "Hell, Dad even says that he's not really proud of his past!"

"Then why did he start?" Maria asked, following Natalie onto the helijet.

"Two punks attacked my aunt Serana, whom SHIELD also knows as Shadow Dancer- now Nightshade- and left her to die. Strangely enough, that's how she met Phantom," Natalie huffed. "Ben was an eyewitness and his testimony sent Declan Blackwell and James Claybrook to prison. Ben also helped look after Serana while he was over in Scotland with his band for a gig."

"Angel's Execution was known that much?" Natasha asked from the front of the cargo bay.

"Oh yeah; they got started when Ben was thirteen," Natalie said excitedly. "One year later, boom! Near world-wide fame in the metal world!"

"I take it Serana was smitten with Ben?" Maria asked jokingly.

"Duh?!" Natalie said, making a hand gesture that said "isn't it obvious?"

"Who put Ben in charge of the radio?" Dave finally spoke up, glancing up from one of his blades.

"Ben's not in the cockpit, dipshit," Natalie told her brother. "Connor's behind the wheel."

"You'd think that he'd choose something besides No Ma'am!" Dave whined, earning a shoulder punch from Natalie.

"Cut it out, moron!" Natalie scolded, dodging an elbow to the ribs. "Hey Red Eagle, can you turn on something else?"

"What are you in the mood for, smooth jazz? Rap? Blues? Folk?" Connor rattled off.

"Would it kill you to turn on some Godsmack, Rob Zombie, or Slipknot?" Natalie grumbled, glaring at her surrogate uncle.

"Hey moron," Ben called out from the back of the helijet, "get into the copilot seat- I'm flying this fucker!"

Natalie grinned at Ben as he thundered past her, the sound of his boots heavy on the floor of the helijet. She noticed his jaw twitching, along with a strange rush of dark blue in his throat. She let the whole thing slide when Ben immediately turned off the sounds of No Ma'am (Connor's old band) and turned on his mix tape. Natalie could almost feel Dave's excitement when the sounds of "Awake" by Godsmack began pounding through the speakers.

_"I'm alive, for you I'm awake! Because of you I'm alive, told you I'm alive, swallowing you-!" _the speakers blared, forcing Natalie's eyes to widen. She knew the _real _reason behind Ben choosing this song.

* * *

**Flashback**

_Ben had led Evan and Connor to the compound that Ivan Kosovo, the brother and right-hand man of Sergei Kosovo, had been using for the Goliath steroid and as a prison for Serana. The fight that Ben and Kosovo had engaged in had left Ben badly injured. Bruises formed all over his face, his ribs were cracked, and his left cheekbone was completely shattered._

_"BEN!" Serana screamed in horror, staring at her badly beaten husband._

_"You're quite the vocal little one, aren't you?" Ivan Kosovo cackled. "Such a shame that Ben is going to die!" _

_His laughter continued as he pulled a syringe out of his pocket and stuck the needle into Ben's arm. Serana began to struggle even more against her restraints, which were even more heavy than what she was used to (she'd learned how to slip most restraints)._

_"YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THIS, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" Serana howled with the hottest flames of rage burning in her eyes. She couldn't believe that Kosovo had used the Goliath steroid on her husband!_

_Kosovo only continued to laugh, which was easily his last mistake. The terror that unfolded behind him was the last thing that he would ever remember:_

_Ben's body had adapted to the steroid, but the toxins that were meant to kill him forced his systems to go entirely haywire. The high concentration of scorpion venom was the first thing to mess his systems up. Kosovo had obviously done his research on deadly animals and the use of the venom of a scorpion, but it was no help to him. Luckily for Ben, the chemical components of the steroid had only slowed his heart, which ultimately saved his life. Within moments, his body had recovered, and he was standing up to face Kosovo. A strange red-orange glow pulsed through Ben's veins, which terrified Serana. "Hey asshole!"_

_Kosovo turned around and stared wide-eyed at Ben- how did he survive?! "What the-?!"_

_Kosovo didn't even have time to finish his statement or make a move when Ben lifted him with one arm, turned him sideways, reached into the back of his neck, and ripped out his entire spinal column with his bare hands. Serana was mortally terrified and fainted on the spot, which worried Ben. He barely glanced away from Serana before he noticed Ivan Kosovo's spinal column on the floor, and he immediately felt sick. He had never killed anyone before, and he realized that the steroid had turned him into a monster._

_"I'm sorry," Ben muttered as he lifted Serana over his shoulder and left Kosovo's compound, leaving the mobster's spinal column for his lieutenants to find on their own._

_"What the hell happened?" Evan demanded as Ben carried Serana to the waiting helicopter._

_"Kosovo injected me with something..." Ben trailed off. "I don't know what it did to me, but next thing I know, I'm ripping out his spine..."_

_Evan stared wide-eyed at his brother-in-law as he took the helicopter into the sky. By that time Serana had came to and immediately turned to face her husband._

_"Ben," Serana began nervously, "I think Kosovo injected you with the Goliath steroid..."_

_"How can you be sure that it was the steroid and not just plain scorpion venom?" Ben demanded, his eyes filling with a strange wave of red-orange._

_"Because the scorpion venom would've killed you," Serana answered plainly. "I've never seen scorpion venom mixed with anything to give its host superhuman abilities..."_

_"I'm not human!" Ben cried out. "What I did to Kosovo was not human!"_

_"You only had moments to react!" Evan jumped in. "You saved thousands of lives, Ben!"_

_"How do you know that I won't destroy more?" Ben demanded. "I slaughtered Kosovo like he was a piece of meat waiting to be eaten!"_

_Serana reached across the cabin of the helicopter and took Ben's hand in her own. Before Ben could protest, she placed his hand over his heart. "You're alive for a reason, Ben. What you're feeling against your hand is your purpose."_

_Ben stared at Serana in disgust and dropped his hand. "This heart isn't meant to give life to a murderer."_

_Serana fought the acid tears and held Ben's hand against her chest. "This one beats for you, Ben. You might view yourself as a monster, but I look at you as my husband and partner. You're my right-hand man in everything, babe, and if I have to give my soul to the devil to keep it like that, then send me to hell."_

_Ben was speechless at his wife's words and began subconsciously tracing his silver wedding band with his thumb. He loved her and was willing to do anything for her if it kept her happy._

* * *

**Present Day**

Natalie shuddered at the story that her father had told her only a year ago. She was worried for her uncle and the rest of her family- what if Ben had a "moment" and went on a rampage? _Focus,_ she thought to herself as the rest of her teammates joined her. _Ben's suit won't allow him to use his powers unless the danger is too great. The needles will prevent him from causing complete mayhem._ "Where's Dad?"

"Getting his stuff ready," Dave answered. "Hey, you okay?"

"Fine," Natalie lied. She was absolutely terrified for Maria- what if she got hurt? _Focus, _she thought to herself.

"C'mon sis, I know you better than that!" Dave prodded.

"I'm worried about Maria," Natalie murmured.

"Why?"

"Because I really, really like her..."

Dave stared wide-eyed at his sister- she had feelings for Maria? Was she serious? "How long?"

"Ever since I saw her on the helicopter..." Natalie trailed off. "Don't tell Dad or Fury, alright?"

"You got it," Dave answered. Evan had arrived on the helijet by that point, wearing his oldest set of armor. His hood was the same color of the crimson rivers from his dead targets that had soaked the earth over the years and his hazel eyes were filled with the smoke of hatred. He knew that his father, Owen McTeague, had gone after these bastards several years beforehand and had failed, and when Evan was in his twenties, he had his chance to end everything. He didn't want to fail again- not with his kids caught up in the mix.

"Forgive me for asking, but why are you wearing your old armor?" Natalie asked, pointing at her father's armor.

"Light armor means light on your feet," Evan replied shortly. "Besides, with all of the shit that's going on, people might need a little old school."

Natalie grinned at her father as he took his seat across from Dave. Shortly afterwards, he was joined by Jesse, who was wearing his light armor. His brown eyes were smoldering with fury, and he wanted to make Volchenkov pay for the damage that he'd caused. The drunk driver that had hit his father's pickup truck had left Jesse with a shattered right thigh and right rib cage, multiple bruises on his torso, and glass shards in his face, scalp, and arm. Catching Volchenkov meant everything to him, and he would do anything to make sure that it was done. By the time he'd gotten his head cleared, he realized that the helijet had taken off.

_"Agent McTeague, report,"_ Director Fury ordered sharply over the comms.

"Loud and clear, Director," Evan replied. "We are ten minutes from insertion, over."

_"Copy that."_

Evan removed his hand from the comm set in his ear and immediately began signaling for everyone to get ready. Natalie checked the .45 caliber pistol that she'd been given as an extra precaution and Dave tested the sharpness of his knives. Maria had been clutching an automatic rifle and Jesse's hands suffocated the grip on his billy clubs. One by one, they all stood up and proceeded to the back of the helijet, ready to spring into action against Volchenkov and his men.

* * *

**Sorry for taking so long- school, work, and family life kinda took a little precedence. :( On the other hand, we are one step closer to going after Volchenkov and seeing more romance between Natalie and Maria! Reviews are welcome and encouraged; if you have suggestions, please PM me!**


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